Two single mothers randomly meet on a Coney Island boardwalk
as their respective, pre-pubescent daughters play together in the sand. One woman
is white and an aspiring, yet struggling actress. The other is black, homeless
and desperately seeking employment as a maid.

The women pair off as employer and housekeeper and the
foursome attempt to survive financially in 1947-era New York City. Beneath the
surface, however, trouble brews for the two girls.One craves attention from her clueless,
stardom-obsessed mother while the other, who is fair skinned and fatalistic about
her circumstances, tries to pass as white – a consequence of believing that in
20th Century America being another color regulates one to the bottom
rungs of society and opportunity.

The story forwards ahead 10 years where they now reside in a
plush Manhattan-area mansion with all of the amenities and trappings that Lora’s
fame and wealth have bought. The girls are now teenagers with Turner’s daughter played by Sandra Dee
and Johnson’s daughter Sarah Jane played by the alluring and sexy-voiced Susan
Kohner.

Sarah Jane’s constant embarrassment of having a black mother
causes her to repeatedly run away. The final time comes when a prospective boyfriend
learns of her ethnicity and renders a savage beating to her.

Annie, now terminally ill, enlists the help of Lora’s fiancé
Steve ( John Gavin ) to find her.Once
found, Annie makes a final visit to say her goodbyes. She dies a few weeks
later and as promised by Lora, is given an elaborate funeral complete with a
horse-drawn hearse and renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.

The movie ends with a sobbing, hysterical Sarah Jane rushing
through the crowd, throwing herself on the casket and begging for her mother’s forgiveness
– much to the astonishment of the funeral patrons.

Who Would Like it and Why

Anyone able to identify with sympathetic, yet flawed characters.

Who Might not Like it and Why

Anyone sensitive to the mistreatment or marginalization of
women.

Highlights/Top Scenes

Annie pays a surprise visit to Sarah Jane’s dressing room while
she prepares for a cabaret show. She assures her daughter that she will no
longer meddle in her affairs and asks for a final hug goodbye.

As the two embrace, Sarah Jane cries. Her increasing guilt
over the mistreatment of her mother has become apparent.

It is the RARE viewer who will have survived thus far without shedding a tear. The closing scenes will leave even the most hardened and detached individual misty eyed and shaken. A testament to Sirk in creating a sophisticated, thought-provoking potboiler that ratchets up the emotions to a gut-wrenching climax.

Just saw "Now You See Me," release date May 31, 2013. This action packed thriller is perhaps this summer's dark horse. Directed by Louis Leterrier, with screenplay and story by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, this 116 min caper has enough titillating intrigue to please even the most apathetic of geeks.

In a world of remade and predictable cookie cutter films, this one has more twists and turns than a mountain highway in India. From the get go, they did a very good job of defining each of these characters, as well as letting the audience know what they bring to the table.

With each new element introduced the writers managed to keep you on the edge of your seat, without giving the ending away. Which is unlike most of the films proclaimed block busters for the summer. I for one was glad to not see screen flares throughout the entire film (i.e. Star Trek: Into Darkness), even with all of the bright lights used for the stage scenes.

This film draws the audience in with it's modern reinterpretation reminiscent of the Robinhood tale. By doing and then undoing all of the great happenings, they managed to keep a break neck speed of action without losing the direction of the plot. Final thoughts on this film?

I would go see it again and probably will before it leaves theaters, to see what I missed this first time. The lack of gratuitous nudity and unnecessary vulgarity proves that a great film can stand on it's writing merits alone. I sat the entire movie lost in the wonder that threw me back to how I felt the first time I saw a real magic show as a child. This truly is a wondrous, fun, thought provoking romp through the imagination, which is needed given the current state of the real world as we know it. Three Mike and Ikes.